Jazmine Sullivan

Singer

• Born: April 9, 1987
• Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Contribution: Jazmine Sullivan is a Grammy-winning American R&B singer. Her nine Grammy nods include a 2009 nomination for best new artist as well as two selections for best female R&B vocal performance, for which she was nominated in 2009 and 2011. She later won a Grammy for best R&B album for her 2021 Heaux Tales EP.

Background

Jazmine Marie Sullivan was born on April 9, 1987, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second of three children and only daughter of Don and Pam Sullivan. Her mother had performed professionally for several years as a backup singer at a Philadelphia record label. The z in Jazmine’s name was suggested by her mom before she was born, as she felt her child would also share her love of jazz music.

Sullivan began singing in the church children’s choir at age five. By the time Sullivan reached her early teenage years, her mother had begun to introduce her to the music of the era’s prominent rhythm and blues (R&B) artists—notably, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Chaka Khan. She received an offer to record for a gospel record label at age eleven but turned it down, opting instead to continue practicing at her church and entering local talent competitions.

In 1999, Sullivan performed in a competition at the venerated Apollo Theater. Sullivan was a finalist in the event, which granted her the opportunity to perform on the television series Showtime at the Apollo. Her performance at that and other events showcasing Philadelphia-area vocal talents caught the attention of music legend Stevie Wonder, who invited the young singer to perform at his annual Christmas showcase in Los Angeles in 2000.

Career

Sullivan signed with Jive Records in 2002 at age fifteen, during her sophomore year at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Sullivan graduated from high school in 2005 with a concentration in vocal music. However, her contract with Jive Records hit several snags. The majority of Sullivan’s work with Jive Records was recorded with other artists and songwriters. Unwilling to risk marketing the singer as a solo act, Jive and Sullivan parted ways, freeing the singer to take power over her own career track.

Sullivan left Jive with her reputation as a vocalist well intact, even drawing the attention of hip-hop star Missy Elliot, who invited the singer to collaborate with her on the debut album of Fantasia Barrino, a winner of the famed American Idol television singing competition in 2004.

With an increasing catalog of her own songs and a resume of industry experience and several notable live performances, Sullivan was given an audition to perform for venerated music executive Clive Davis, who would sign her to Sony subsidiary J Records.

Sullivan’s debut album, Fearless, was released in September of 2008. Wholly utilizing the cachet of both Davis and J Records, the album featured an array of top-notch production talent, including Missy Elliott and Salaam Remi. In a refreshing change from her time at Jive Records, Sullivan too had ample say in the album’s production.

Music critics praised Fearless, lauding the rising star’s vocal versatility and the compilation’s eclectic array of musical styles. The album went on to receive seven Grammy nominations, including ones for best contemporary R&B album, best new artist, best female R&B vocal performance, and best R&B song for “Bust Your Windows.” The album’s first single, “Need U Bad,” rose to number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song “Bust Your Windows” was also featured on an episode of the musical television series Glee and in the dance film Step Up 3D.

The singer’s critical praise would continue in the wake of her sophomore album, Love Me Back, which was released in November of 2010. The album featured further collaborations with producers Missy Elliott and Salaam Remi, in addition to performer Ne-Yo. The album’s lead single, “Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles),” earned Sullivan another Grammy nomination in the category of best female R&B vocal performance.

In 2011, Sullivan announced on the social media website Twitter that she was going to take a break from performing and recording, noting that she needed to pause in her career and take time for some self-reflection. A year later she announced, again via Twitter, that she was returning to the studio to work on a third album.

In 2014, Sullivan released three singles from her third studio album, Reality Show, which debuted at number one on the Billboard R&B Albums chart in January 2015. The album takes its title from the reality television shows she watched while on hiatus and earned Sullivan three 2016 Grammy Award nominations, including for best R&B album. “Let It Burn,” a single from the album, was nominated for best traditional R&B performance and best R&B song.

In the late 2010s, Sullivan collaborated on projects with several artists, including Frank Ocean, Mali Music, and Mary J. Blige. In 2018, she and Bryson Tiller contributed the song “Insecure” to the television show of the same name.

Sullivan reached a major career milestone with the release of her EP Heaux Tales in 2021. The popular recording earned the rising star her first Grammy award for best R&B album. Sullivan subsequently released a deluxe edition of the album titled Heaux Tales, Mo'Tales in 2022.

Impact

Jazmine Sullivan’s classical training and deep-rooted classic R&B influences make her more the exception than the rule among contemporary female vocalists. Despite her collaborations with notable hip-hop artists, the singer’s music eschews many vocal effects techniques and production stunts prevalent throughout contemporary hip-hop and R&B, a maturity that has won her both critical and commercial praise at the outset of her career.

Bibliography

Abebe, Nitsuh. “Let’s All Just Sit for a Minute and Appreciate Jazmine Sullivan’s Voice.” New York Magazine. New York Media, 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2013.

Caramarnica, Jon. “Jazmine Sullivan.” Rev. of Fearless, by Jazmine Sullivan. New York Times. New York Times, 6 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

Concepcion, Mariel, and Paul Sexton. “A Star Is Born.” Billboard 11 Dec. 2010: 53–54. Print.

"Jazmine Sullivan." AllMusic, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/jazmine-sullivan-mn0000546738. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.

Sullivan, Jazmine. Interview by Shirley Henderson. Ebony May 2009: 41. Print.

Sullivan, Jazmine. “Jazmine Sullivan Talks Love, Growth & Showing Her Softer Side.” Interview by Jacqueline Shepard. Soul Culture. Soul Culture Media, 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.